Heartbeat Sounds like Home
by featheredschist
Summary: Tony and Bruce in a moment of fluffy happiness after a year of trials


...Sounds Like Home

Tony/Bruce, angst, fluff, comfort, compliant with only the end scene of IM3 (the surgery), not compliant with the rest of the MCU, including but not limited to the rest of the movies, and the TV shows; contemplation of scars, body horror

* * *

Bruce woke early, as he always did, and rolled over in bed to curl up against Tony's limp, sleeping body, unwilling to remove himself from the cocoon they always ended up in, blankets scrunched and tucked around them.

It had been just six months* since the surgery that had successfully removed the arc reactor from Tony's chest. The terrible privilege that he'd borne for several years now gone, and Bruce was glad Tony was no longer dependent on the device for survival. Bruce's own terrible privilege was only a little easier to control since that fateful discussion aboard the Helicarrier.

He groaned quietly, it was too early for such dark thoughts and he'd rather stay in bed, listening to the soft 'lub lub' of his lover's heartbeat. The organ was strong again after the restorative surgery of Helen Cho's process* and the beneficial side effects of the Extremis virus. The nanotech Tony had created to stabilize Extremis had the unfortunate side effect of driving Pepper and Tony apart. Part of it extended, and rightly so, from the abuse she'd suffered at the hands of Aldrich Killian, along with dealing with the Extremis in her own body. She'd taken an extended leave of absence from the company, and consequently broken Tony's heart. Pepper had been back to lead the company after three months of intense therapy and enforced radio silence between her and Tony. Their efforts to regain their friendship were stilted and rough around the edges.

Tony claimed to understand; being romantically involved with a superhero who had no secret identity required a level of constancy Pepper reserved for the company he put in her care. She simply did not wish to risk her heart on whether Tony would some day not come back. He deserved better than that, or so she'd told him when she returned from sabbatical and sat him down to explain.

Bruce knew how hard it had been for Tony to let her go. It had been the best thing for the both of them. Loving a hero was not for the faint of heart, or doubters.

Giving up on returning to sleep, Bruce gently extricated himself from Tony's side, grateful when his partner only sighed and curled up tighter under the blankets.

He went to the bathroom, eschewing any lights, to perform his ablutions. He grabbed one of the thick, flannel robes they kept hanging on a hook on the back of the door and wrapped it around himself. Once he crossed the bedroom, he checked on Tony again, before padding out to the kitchen, for tea and contemplation.

The kitchen was quiet as no one else was up yet, giving Bruce the opportunity he needed for solitude. The elaborately complicated coffee machine ticked on, heating up the boiler kept full under orders from Tony, while Bruce rummaged in the cupboard for a large mug, and set up a tea ball full of a mix of jasmine, rose, and green tea leaves. Once the water was the right temperature for his blend, Bruce filled his mug, and let the tea steep for a few minutes before he took the mug to the couch closest to the window.

It was more lounger than couch, lacking a back, but having armrests, and Bruce just curled up on one end, feet tucked under his butt as he contemplated the early morning.

This high in the skyscraper that was Avengers Tower in Manhattan, the morning sun had easily breached the room, warming it slightly. Bruce basked in the light that drenched the lounger, thinking back over the past year and a half of friendship he had with Tony Stark.

Ever since they met aboard the Helicarrier in the effort to find Thor's brother and the magical artifact known as the Tesseract, they had been fast friends. Sharing more than similar backgrounds of families that didn't care about them, with the burning desire burning desire to prove oneself; they clicked on multiple levels. It was because of this that Bruce had decided to remain at the Tower well after the end of the fight with the Chitauri.

They had been separated shortly after the Battle of New York when the Army's General Ross had made yet another attempt on kidnapping Bruce, and Tony had discovered AIM was out to recruit, or kill him.

Each had believed the other had died, or become incapacitated, and therefore unable to reconnect. Six months had passed before they found one another again.

Bruce had made a call to the Tower, using an emergency number that Tony had made sure the team knew to use if they needed any assistance, from mission back up to a place to hide and recover. Bruce called, and had spoken to JARVIS, and was later picked up, sight unseen, by trusted members of Happy's security team and brought back to the Tower. He'd surprised Tony with his appearance, both showing up out of the blue, and how haggard and drawn he was.

By this time, Tony had dealt with AIM, a terrorist, saving the President, and had had the life saving surgery. They had decided to try a relationship of their own after that.

Halfway through drinking his tea, Bruce heard the soft, shuffling steps of someone who wasn't quite awake. Tony came into view, bundled in one of the comforters off the bed. His brunette hair tousled from sleep and repeated stress finger combing.

Bruce's heart melted at the sight of a vulnerable Tony, this soft side only a few were ever allowed to see. Bruce was in awe of the privilege.

Tony shuffled closer, bleary eyes barely held open to navigate through the living room. "Doc? Whaddya doin' up?" The slur of sleep making his words barely intelligible.

Tony slumped onto the lounger and leaned into Bruce's side, tucking his head against Bruce's shoulder.

Bruce wrapped his left arm around Tony, and replied, "Brain."

Tony made an 'ooh' noise knowing even in his half aware state just what a problem that was and simply got comfortable for cuddles. He took note of the slow thrum of Bruce's heartbeat, and relaxed, drifting peacefully as Bruce continued to watch the play of color on the neighboring building.

After about thirty minutes, Bruce noticed the gentle snoring coming from Tony, and he grinned in sappy happiness. He carefully transferred Tony into his lap and gathered him into his arms and stood, to take them both back into the bedroom and ensconcing them back in bed.

As he fell back asleep, he reflected on the long road that had gotten them together, and smiled, grateful to finally be with the one person with whom he felt most comfortable and at home with.

* * *

*1 - I'm stretching the MCU timeline a bit. According to this website:  wiki/2012 BoNY happened in like May (when the movie was released), and then IM3 occurred that December (again, as released). I'm making it so the two of them don't get together for another six months, making the timing of this one, mid-2013.

*2 - Helen Cho - it's been speculated that she helped with Tony's surgery to remove the arc reactor. I'm running with that here. They had to meet her somehow.


End file.
